WARRIORS OF THE WALKING DEAD: SAVIORS OF MANKIND

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Katelyn scrambled, using her hands to grip the wet rock she climbed, gripping it tightly in her painful hands. It had started to rain and hour ago, leaving her shivering and cold as she crested the top of the small cliff. Pulling herself over the ledge, she lay on her stomach for a minute before turning around so she could keep an eye on the ground below.

She knew that Nate would be trying to track her and would lose her trail with the rain, so she thought she'd circle back behind him and try to figure out where she was. She would have to make her way back to Deer Creek on her own. Daryl wouldn't even know she was missing until tomorrow, but Carol and Andrea might come check on her when she didn't show up for sorting the equipment for spring.

They'd knock and hopefully, when she didn't answer, they'd go in and see….Oh god! Hope. She thought, causing tears to spring to her eyes.

Katelyn's lip began trembling as she thought about poor little Hope. She had to be scared out of her mind and was probably screaming. Katelyn's hand flew to her chest as she began to feel panic hit her.

"No, no, no, no." She mumbled to herself over and over again, trying to calm herself. "Breathe, Katelyn. Daryl would tell you to breathe."

Katelyn squeezed her eyes shut, forcing herself to calm down. If she was ever going to get back to Hope, she had to keep her wits about her. Daryl wasn't going to show up and save her. She was going to have to save herself. This is what he'd been trying to teach her and he believed in her.

Pushing herself up, she looked around for a large tree she could climb. Heading for it, she began pulling herself into the large branches, inching higher, until she found a good perch. Carefully standing, she peered out of the foliage, looking over the top of the forest below. Her eyes came to rest on a road far off in the distance. Locking the image into her mind, she climbed back down and began walking that way, listening for Nate was she moved carefully.

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Daryl lost the trail of the child and stopped. He could clearly see the full grown man's trail kept going forward, but the child's disappeared.

Looking around, he immediately saw the wet rock formation that rose above them on the hill and smiled.

Clever kid.

He saw the mud their shoe had wiped on one of the jagged rocks and brushed it off so that if the other man came back here, he wouldn't find it. Slinging his crossbow over his shoulder he grabbed the ledge and pulled himself upward.

Daryl reached the top and dropped a hand down to help Merle climb the last part.

"The kid?" Merle asked, wondering which one of two had climbed up here.

"Yeah." Daryl said, thinking that someone had to have taught that tactic to the kid like he'd taught Katelyn.

"Come on." Daryl said, heading down the trail left behind by the smaller set of footprints.

They traveled for only twenty minutes when they noticed that the footprints were heading back down the slope and realized that the child would intersect the man hunting him and began to hurry.

"Why the hell would the kid turn back toward him?" Merle asked incredulously.

Daryl looked around.

"Quickest way to the road." Daryl suggested, causing Merle to shake his head.

"Stupid." Merle muttered.

"Not sure there's another choice if he wants ta get out of here." Daryl said, shrugging.

"Let's go fetch him before he gets himself killed." Merle said in an annoyed tone.

Daryl nodded and the two headed off after the trail.

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He hated her.

More than he'd ever hated anyone.

That bitch had broken his face. He could see the swelling in his face by just looking down. The bridge of his nose was barely perceptible and one of his eyes was nearly swollen shut. He was sure that his orbital bone was broken as well as his nose.

He was gonna kill her and enjoy doing it.

He squatted down to listen and wasn't disappointed. He heard breaking branches and rustling leaves up ahead and waited watchfully as Katelyn slowly crept out of the foliage.

She was being cautious, slowly edging her way through the woods, heading back north toward the highway. She ducked branches and stepped over sticks on the ground, avoiding making a lot of noise. Waiting for her to move a little farther away, he began inching forward, only moving when she moved so that she wouldn't hear him approach.

He followed her like that for nearly a quarter of a mile before he got within striking distance.

Hiding behind a tree, he waited until she began to move again and launched into a full sprint. Before Katelyn could do anything, he tackled her from behind, slamming her into the ground. Letting loose a bloodcurdling scream, she began to fight for her life.

Pushing up, she managed to tumble him to the side and began scrambling to get out from under him, but he grabbed her hair and yanked her head back, choking the scream from her. Twisting away, she grabbed his hand and kicked as hard as she could, connecting with his neck and causing him to let go of her hair.

Jumping to her feet, she turned to run, but he grabbed her ankle, causing her to crash to the ground. Screeching, she blindly kicked backward and he yanked her down to him. Leaping on top of her, he now lay with his entire body pressed against her. She couldn't move his weight, but attempted to bash the back of her head into his already battered face but he grabbed her head and smashed it into the ground.

Stunned for a moment, Katelyn struggled to fight off the pain.

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Daryl heard the scream and froze.

That sounded like Katelyn, but he knew there was no way it could be her. She was at home with Hope, seeing to the colony of survivors.

"Which way?" Daryl asked, looking at Merle.

Merle pointed and both of them took off running toward the noise.

Daryl burst through the bushes, just as Nate smashed Katelyn into a tree, knocking her head against it and causing her to drop to the ground. He was stunned for a moment, seeing Katelyn lying on the ground and Nate, the psycho, standing there. It only took a second though, and he launched himself through the air.

Tackling Nate to the ground, Daryl started pummeling him violently. Nate curled up in a ball, unable to defend himself against the vicious attacks. Daryl growled as he launch another series of hits to the face until Nate was gurgling and laying there limply.

"He's done! Daryl! He's done!" Merle yelled, grabbing his brother to haul him off of the bloody and broken soldier.

"I'll fuckin' kill 'im!" Daryl screamed, kicking him before Merle could pull him back far enough away that he couldn't connect."

Merle spun him around to look him in the face.

"Daryl! He's done! You need to see to Katelyn!" Merle shouted, shaking Daryl to snap him out of it.

Daryl sucked in his breath, wiping his hand across his mouth and looked at Merle. Merle grabbed Daryl's neck with his hand and pulled him forward, patting him on the back.

"He's done." Merle said, trying to calm him down a bit before he went to see to Katelyn.

Turning his head, Daryl nodded, looking over at Katelyn who was groggily pushing herself to her feet. Stumbling as she struggled to her feet, she glanced over at the ground and saw Daryl. Her face contorted in confusion, not quite comprehending what was happening.

She blinked her eyes trying to get them to focus as she thought she was hallucinating but he was still there when she opened her eyes.

"Daryl?" She gasped softly, stumbling forward.

Daryl moved forward, wrapping his arms around her, cupping her head to pull it into his chest.

"Are you okay?" Daryl said, pushing her out to arms length so he could look her over.

Seeing the cut on her forehead from where he smashed her head into the tree, he looked into her glazed eyes to see if she was lucid.

"I…I…" She tried to explain but she knew her words weren't coming out right.

Daryl put his arm around her and moved her over to a boulder to sit her down.

"Look at me." He said softly, tilting her face up.

He could tell that she was dazed and the huge goose egg that was forming on her forehead worried him.

"Can you walk?" He asked her, still looking at her face, studying it for signs of serious injury.

Katelyn's eyes started to water as a tear slipped down her cheek. Daryl wiped it away with his thumb.

"Kate? Can you walk?" Daryl asked her again, waiting for her to answer.

"Y..yes." She answered, looking up at him, still not sure he was real.

Daryl lifted her to her feet, careful to block her view of Nate who lay on the ground.

"I'll take care of it." Merle said, catching Daryl's eye.

Daryl looked at Nate one last time and nodded, as he started walking away.

Daryl walked slowly with her, helping her find her footing. He had about a thousand questions, but knew he wasn't going to get any answers right now. Somehow, that animal had kidnapped her, dragged her into the forest, and she'd fought him off and escaped.

He was proud of her.

They walked silently for a ways before her knees buckled. Daryl grabbed her, easing her down to the ground and squatted in front of her.

"Take your time." He said, trying to figure out how to get her back to the camp.

"He came in the house…Hope….Hope…." She babbled, looking up at him with a look of terror.

Daryl's breath caught in his throat as he imagined the worst.

"Where's Hope, Katelyn?" Daryl asked breathlessly.

"Sh…she was in her playpen. I couldn't breathe and he dragged me out. I woke up in the woods." She rambled.

Daryl breathed a sigh of relief.

"She's there, Daryl. By herself…alone." Katelyn burst out crying as she imagined her in the kitchen, wondering where her mommy was.

"Shhh…shh….she's okay. She's okay. We'll hurry back to camp and jump in the truck and drive back. It's only been a few hours." Daryl said, helping her stand up but her legs were weak.

"I can't. You go. Hurry back. Get her. I'm too slow." Katelyn said strongly.

Daryl shook his head no.

"I mean it, Daryl! Go! Get Hope!" Katelyn was almost hysterical as she tried to get him to go to their daughter and leave her here.

"I'll be fine. You point me toward the camp and I'll keep walking." She said, pushing him.

"Katelyn, I'm not leaving you here!" Daryl argued, unwilling to leave her behind.

"Daryl. I can defend myself against walkers. You already took care of Nate. There's no one else here to hurt me, but Hope is sitting there, alone and scared. Please" She begged him.

Daryl didn't know what to do, but the look in her eyes told him that if something happened to Hope and he didn't go, she'd never forgive him.

Daryl took off his crossbow and handed it to her.

"You keep this with you. I will run ahead and leave marks on my way. You follow them straight back to the camp. I'll send Rick back to get you when I get there." Daryl said passionately, leaning in to kiss her.

"I love you." Daryl said before taking off into the woods.

Katelyn watched him leave, praying that he'd get there in time.

"Please let Hope be okay." She whispered to the air.